An adverse analytical finding (AAF), also known as a testing positive, occurs when a laboratory accredited by the

World Anti-Doping Agency The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA; , AMA) is an international organization co-founded by the governments of over 140 nations along with the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate, and monitor the fight against d ...

(WADA) "identifies the presence of a prohibited substance and/or its metabolites or markers in a sample". A related concept is the atypical finding (ATF) when the result is inconclusive, a category introduced in 2008. Not all AAFs result in anti-doping sanctions; the rate varies by sport. In athletics, the rate of AAFs does not vary significantly by event and averages 0.95 percent of samples analyzed. However, sprinters were more likely to test positive for

anabolic steroids Anabolic steroids, also known as anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), are a class of drugs that are structurally related to testosterone, the main male sex hormone, and produce effects by binding to the androgen receptor (AR). Anabolic steroids ...

while middle- and long-distance runners were more likely to test positive for

peptides Peptides are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. A polypeptide is a longer, continuous, unbranched peptide chain. Polypeptides that have a molecular mass of 10,000 Dalton (unit), Da or more are called proteins. Chains of fewer t ...

and

growth factor A growth factor is a naturally occurring substance capable of stimulating cell proliferation, wound healing, and occasionally cellular differentiation. Usually it is a secreted protein or a steroid hormone. Growth factors are important for ...

References

{{reflist Doping in sport